TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Republican lawmakers' "universal school choice" bill cleared its first committee in the Florida House Thursday.
By a vote of 13-4, the Choice and Innovation Committee cleared the bill even without an estimated cost attached to it. Lauderhill Democrat Lisa Dunkley was the only member to cross party lines.
If approved, the bill would make all students eligible to receive state funds for private tuition. It would be the largest expansion of Florida's school voucher program since its inception under former Governor Jeb Bush.
HB1 strips the low-income requirements from the Family Empowerment Scholarship, allowing any public school-eligible student to apply. Low-income families still get priority, however. Families homeschooling can also get a slice of state dollars as well for things like online lessons or private tutoring.
For their part, Democrats, who can't stop any bill from approval due to a Republican supermajority, have been critical of the bill. Democrats and other critics have said the bill could further cripple Florida's public education that millions of children depend on.
Members of the minority caucus called HB 1 a "betrayal" of Florida's public schools. Many believed passage would result in more students in private education — where state standards for educators and academics don't apply and teachers have few protections.
During Thursday's hearing, Democrats proposed an amendment to set an income limit restricting voucher access for families with an income of $1 million, according to Politico. The amendment was defeated.
The question many representatives and experts continue to ask is how much the bill will cost both the state and individual school districts in funding. So far, the GOP majority in the House hasn't provided an answer to those questions.
The 2023 legislative session will start in March.
